STAND. COM. REP. NO.1361

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 127

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 127, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GENERAL ASSISTANCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow a person to remain eligible for general assistance if the person fails to pursue medical treatment under certain circumstances.

Specifically, this bill allows a person to remain eligible for general assistance if the failure to pursue appropriate treatment, is due to good cause, including treatment being unavailable, personal emergencies, and circumstances that threaten the safety of the patient.

Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended the bill to require the Department of Human Services to adopt rules to define the term "good cause", to provide guidance on when treatment is considered unavailable, what constitutes a personal emergency, and what circumstances may threaten the safety of a patient. Your Committee has also made one technical amendment by changing the initial section of the bill to reflect that it is section 1, rather than section 2.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 127, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 127, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair